Ara Gloom
History As a young child, Ara was prone to distraction. She would often get lost in the beauty of a pond eclipsed in shadow, or a trail of sugarbeetles climbing the wall. Whenever her chores at home went unfinished, she was scolded harshly by her mother for her lack of focus. Ara was even blamed when the milk soured, or when any other minor misfortunes befell the family. Her older brother, Evard, teased her more than anyone. Ara often fled to her favorite hiding spot—the ghost-willow, a tree sacred to the people of her village. Alone, she would whisper to the tree for hours, seeking solace. Unbeknownst to her, one warm evening, Evard and his friends followed her in secret. They snickered at her childish tears. Her shame and rage grew as she tried to ignore their insults, until one of them threw a clump of dirt at her head. Ara could no longer control her emotions. All her anger erupted from deep within her, in the form of darkly blue shining orbs, heavy with the weight of her anguish. This powerful ability had been dormant until now. It flared with volatile strength, the orbs like pearls of negativity that leached the radiation from the world around her, draining the ghost-willow of its life essence. Evard and his friends backed away in horror as the ancient tree twisted, its bark withering to a tarry black. Deprived of the ghost-willow, the villagers grew concerned that their connection to the land had been severed, and Ara’s family was to blame. Forced to move on in search of a new home, all had become fearful of her power. After months of travel, they reached the coast and encountered a woman named Sebastian Shaw. He spoke of his home in America, where he taught those who wished to learn to control their wild power, and Ara’s family could see no other option—perhaps he could succeed where they had not. Young Ara climbed the steps to a cliffside temple, crafted long ago from dark stone, and overlooking the sea. Though she missed her old life, she tried to embrace her teacher’s wisdom, and put all her effort into tempering her emotions. However, Ara grew frustrated as, instead of gaining more control, over the years her power seemed to weaken. Shaw now locked himself away each morning, meditating in solitude rather than teaching her anything new, and so she confronted him. His teeth gritted with exhaustion, he confessed that he was deliberately dampening her power, for her own safety. Such negativity had a strange, unpredictable effect on reality, and Ara had grown far beyond his ability as a mentor. She felt more betrayed than she ever had before. Shaw tried to calm her, which only fueled her anger… and in that moment, his focus was lost. The foundations of the temple shook. The morning light seemed to pale. Ara rose from the floor, as her frustrations surged within her. She snatched dark blue shining orbs from the air, and cast them through her mentor’s body, forcing him to feel all of her bitter outrage as he died. Out of Ara's shock, Shaw's body morphed into a man she never seen before. From the shadows, a woman approached Ara from behind, she revealed herself as Selene. She spoke about Ara's growing power as Sebastian Shaw walked out the shadows, revealing he wasn't dead. Selene and Shaw discussed what to do with Ara right in front of her. Out of anger, Ara attempts to shove her obs into them, but Selene sent her hand out, stopping her in her tracks. Selene knew how powerful Ara was becoming and she needed her for the Inner Circle. She decided to snatch a portion of Ara's soul, locking it within a marble. Shocked, Ara felled to the ground as her orbs vanished in thin air. Since Ara was now vulnerable, she placed her under her control, bending her soul and mind against Ara's will. Selene used her to do unspeakable actions, create impossible things, and hurt numerous of innocent people. Sentient the entire time, Ara cried out for help, looking every which way to escape this prison within her own body.